Tundra
by Ravner Dyr
Summary: Arendelle is peaceful and prosperous under the reign of Queen Elsa who has gained much control over her icy magic since the Frozen Summer two years before. Prince Hans and the Duke of Weselton have plans to besiege Arendelle and capture the queen. With Anna and Kristoff away in the mountains, will Prince Hans and the duke succeed in the capture of Elsa the Snow Queen?
1. Chapter 1

**Tundra**

**Chapter One**

**By Ravner Dyr**

Two years after the Frozen Summer, Arendelle was as peaceful and as prosperous as ever. Trade was booming, there was essentially no crime and the seasons had been very kind to Arendelle's citizens as well as their crops. The current calm and wealth was due to the young queen and her abilities over ice and snow. Her reign had been just and fair and, if citizens were being completely honest, better than her late father's had ever been, even at the height of his rule.

The queen in question, the young Elsa, was busy carving ice in her personal room used exclusively for the purpose of giving her magic free reign. She was working on a life sized ice sculpture of one of the young school children she had visited only yesterday. Elsa carved away at the details of the dress. It was nearly perfect, just a few more adjustments…

"HI ELSA! What are you working on?" Elsa squeaked and jumped at the surprise entry and her control over her magic slipped a little, making her icy dress a little shorter than she had intended.

She placed her hand on her chest and took a few calming breaths before turning to face her beaming younger sister. "Anna! Stop sneaking up on me, you nearly scared me to death."

Anna chuckled and wandered closer to her sister, admiring some of her finished works. "Sorry about that. It's not like you can't fix it. Besides, I was really happy and just wanted to tell you that Kristoff, Olaf, Sven and I are going to the mountains to see Kristoff's family and I just wanted to know if you wanted to come because I know how much you love the mountains and I also wanted to tell you that I really wanted you to come because I think it would be more fun if you did!"

"Whoa, that was a lot in one sentence. Just let me get this right; you, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven are going to the trolls and you want me to come with you because you think it'll be more fun?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Not exactly…"

"Anyway, these are beautiful, Elsa. Are they really all people from the village?" Anna questioned, drifting deeper into the large room, studying some of Elsa's other sculptures. They were indeed beautiful. Every detail, from the hair to the little buttons on their jackets, was incredibly perfect. Anna imagined that had it not been for sculptures' crystalline appearance, she would have mistaken them for figures frozen in time.

"Thank you." Elsa replied bashfully, refusing to meet her sister's eyes.

Anna knew Elsa still felt that she needed to distance herself for the safety of others. Her sister had greatly improved her control over her magic; the large room she now stood in was testament to her progress. She was still quite insecure and needed the occasional push and confidence boost when it came to meeting foreign dignitaries or even going on royal visits. Elsa's 13 years of isolation had left its mark on her psyche and Anna was unsure whether she would ever be able to express herself as freely as the eight year old princess that she so fondly remembered.

"I really mean it, Elsa; they're all so detailed and just perfect. Mama and Papa would be just as proud as I am about all you've achieved."

"Yes, I suppose they would. Although, I think they would want me to be better than this still."

"Well, you'll get there eventually. So will you be coming to see Kristoff's family with us?" Anna inquired, eager to move on to happier conversation.

A look of guilt flittered over Elsa's beautifully pale face for a moment. "I'm sorry Anna, but the ambassador of Trondheim will be visiting for the week to discuss trade agreements. I'm so sorry Anna; I really wanted to come with you. Maybe I can join you all on your next trip?" A small smile graced her lips.

"Oh, well that's okay. I'm pretty sure we'll be visiting them again in a few weeks anyway." Anna plastered a smile on her face quickly to hide her disappointment from her sister. She knew that being a queen was hard work but she thought that with Elsa no longer isolated in her room, that she'd be able to spend more time with her; she was the queen after all.

Anna may have thought that she veiled her disappointment well enough, but her sister had caught the small hint of emotion. "We can go visit that school you like, I'm pretty sure they've nearly finished classes for today."

The younger of the two instantly lit up, a large smile stretched across her freckled cheeks. "That would be so much fun! You can make those snow forts again!"

Elsa suppressed a little giggle at her sister's enthusiasm before she was yanked by the arm down the hall, practically running to keep up with Anna.

0

"So do you agree with our plan?" The duke's snide voice echoed in the large study.

"Yes, I do. We will unite the military of Weselton and the Southern Isles and besiege Arendelle in the night, taking them completely by surprise. It's quite genius really. And we both come out of this with what we want. I will be king of Arendelle and you will have access to Arendelle's trade market and unique resources." Hans beamed a smile that would be considered charming by all except the royal family of Arendelle where it was considered downright evil.

"I do have one concern with this plan though," The duke voiced, his statement earning a dark look from the auburn haired prince.

"Which is?"

"Why do we not kill the monster? Why must we waste time finding a solution to strip it of its abnormality?"

"Well, if you must know. The reason I don't want the queen dead is because if I'm going to rule Arendelle, I want to do it legally and correctly. She will marry me and make me king, otherwise, I will destroy Arendelle and kill her beloved sister. And without her magic, she will be powerless to stop me." The sadistic grin returned to his face.

"I'm glad I am on the same side as you, Prince Hans. I think we have a good chance at succeeding." An even larger smirk spread across the older man's face as the two men shook hands, sealing the deal.

**Hello all. This is my first **_**Frozen**_** fic, I hope it was alright. I normally write for the Teen Titans, so I've never written anything from this time period (or country). In future chapters I may try to use technical terminology (like for ships or something like that), and I will most likely gather information about it from the internet, which may not be 100% accurate.**

**Anyway, here is the first chapter of Tundra. I will only post the first chapter just to get a feel of how I'm writing Elsa, Anna, Hans and the duke. If you think it feels unnatural or OC (or spot any other mistakes or inconsistencies for that matter) please don't hesitate to let me know in your comments.**

**Please review and let me know as this is what really keeps me motivated.**

**Sincerely,**

**Ravner Dyr **


	2. Chapter 2

**Tundra**

**Chapter Two**

**By Ravner Dyr**

Anna brushed the dusting of snow from her dress while she and Elsa began approaching the open gates of the castle. After nearly two hours of snow fort construction, snowmen building and snowball wars, she was virtually exhausted. The children at the schoolhouse were eager and full of energy when they learned that the queen and the princess had come to play with them. Their joy was fueled even more by the display of Elsa's magic. Halfway through a snowball war, Olaf joined Elsa's team. The snowman had been jubilant at the prospect of playing and giving out his signature warm hugs.

Elsa's living creation skipped alongside the sisters on the way home, stopping every now and again to marvel at the various sights of the marketplace. The remainder of Arendelle's royal family walked hand in hand back to their home, neither wanting the moment to end. This had possibly been the longest time they had spent together without any interruptions.

"You know, I'm glad we spent time together today. I've been so busy lately with trade agreements and law amendments and my magic… Anna, I'm sorry." Elsa apologized, looking at her younger sister earnestly.

"Elsa, you have nothing to apologize for. You're the queen; you have enough things on your plate as it is without needing to spend time with me. Knowing that you love me as much as I love you is enough." Anna returned Elsa's warm look, smiling a small grin.

"Why would you ever doubt how I feel about you?"

Anna dropped her gaze, finding the rough cobblestone under her feet much more interesting. "For those 13 years that I hardly saw you, I thought the reason for your isolation was me; that I did something wrong and you hated me for it. Do you remember that I would slip those notes under your door, telling you how sorry I was and asking you to come out and play with me again?"

Elsa did remember and she had kept every single note and drawing that had been slipped under her door. A sorrowful, pained expression flitted over her face.

"I wrote so many… and when you didn't come out of your room or reply to any of them I thought you truly wanted nothing to do with me. So I thought it would be better if I stopped bothering you altogether, it seemed like it was what you wanted."

Elsa stopped walking and gently clasped Anna's hands in her own. The action caused the younger of the two to look up and meet the icy blue gaze of her sister. "Anna, words cannot express how truly sorry I am for doing those things to you and making you feel the way you did. But you have to know that even though I stopped seeing you, I didn't stop loving you for a second. The little letters you wrote and the drawings, those kept me going and brought a little solace to my solitude." Elsa smiled slightly as Anna's eyes began regaining their spark of joy. "I will always love you no matter what."

Both royals broke into smiles, hugging each other as tightly as possible. "C'mon, guys! What's the holdup? I thought we were all going to get a cup of cocoa?" Olaf beckoned, already at the gates.

Anna giggled before running after the little snowman while Elsa beamed, walking as fast as her queenly station would allow. The trio was just entering the large central courtyard of the castle where Kai was waiting for them. Elsa's confusion was evident. She didn't have any dignitaries visiting today and she was sure she didn't have any meetings with parliament either. What was this about?

"Hello, Kai. What brings you out here?" Anna hoped that he was just waiting for them to arrive to ask how much cocoa to put in their drinks. She was having far too much fun with Elsa for her to leave.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty, Your Highness." Kai bowed his head respectfully to address both of the young royals. "I'm sorry to disrupt your afternoon, Your Majesty, but you have an engagement to meet the newly appointed Royal Guards."

Of course! How could she have forgotten? But now her afternoon with Anna would be cut short. She turned to Anna, "I'm sorry, but-"

Anna's eyes dimmed slightly at the prospect of not spending time with her sister. "It's okay, Elsa. I understand, I'll just see you at dinner, alright?"

Elsa smiled at her sister, thankful she was so accepting. "Thank you Anna. I'll see you then." With that she left for the castle's main meeting hall. Anna sighed heavily before dejectedly turning to exit the gates again, planning to sit along the wharf for awhile. Olaf skipped along beside her, attempting to cheer her up along the way with his antics.

Elsa quickly made her way in the direction of the meeting hall. While her castle wasn't as large as some of the others throughout Europe, it did take some time and navigation to get to her destination. The meeting hall was situated on the ground floor, right next to parliamentary chambers. This wing of the castle was unofficially dubbed the 'Borwing' by Anna as it contained nothing of enjoyment for her. And she was slightly right; nothing in this part of the castle really excited Elsa either. It housed the meeting hall, parliamentary chambers, the kingdom's complete archives, a command and strategy hall and her office.

As Elsa neared the large double oaken doors she considered what an odd tradition it was to meet newly appointed guards. She didn't know of any nearby kingdoms that adhered to such a tradition so she assumed that it was another unique aspect of Arendelle. It was a tradition founded by her grandfather, King Henrik the Third. He had been a great ruler, though suspicious of the servants and guards who worked within the palace. He wanted to know the names and faces of everyone should they ever attempt an assassination. Elsa's father had continued, although not for reasons of paranoia. He had liked to personally introduce himself and her mother to new guards because he felt it raised morale and the loyalty of his guards.

The large double doors opened for her and she was greeted by the sight of 20 young men dressed in the uniform of Arendelle's Royal Guard, lined up in one row, facing the front of the hall. All stood stock still, waiting for the queen. Elsa made her way to front of the line of guards, wearing her best queenly façade.

"At ease, gentlemen." She commanded, watching as their tense formation relaxed into one of awaiting attention. "I congratulate you all on completing your training and assessments. I invite each of you to step forward and say your name."

The first guard on the left stepped forward nervously; he voice wavered slightly as he spoke. "Siegfried Andersen. It is an honor to serve the royal house of Arendelle, Your Majesty."

"Karl Dahlberg. It is an honor Your Majesty."

"Espen Arntzen. I am honored to protect the royal family of Arendelle, Your Majesty."

Elsa nodded in response to each introduction, her attention drawn to each new voice and the face it belonged to. She slowly tuned out, her face an excellent mask of interest, as she nodded and smiled where she thought was appropriate. Playing with those school children must have been more exhausting than she thought. She shouldn't be this impolite, she normally wasn't. But the fact that she was tired and had disappointed Anna twice in one day had severely impacted her mood and attention skills.

It finally came to an end and Elsa dismissed them. "Thank you for your pledge of allegiance to the royal house of Arendelle. It is I who should be honored to have such loyal men protect my family. You are all dismissed."

Hans paced impatiently along the wharf of Weselton's largest sea port as he waited for his ship to be prepared for the voyage. The auburn haired prince looked at the numerous ships moored in the large loch, all waiting to set sail for Arendelle, his future kingdom. The military force that he had organized was decent enough to take Arendelle with little difficulty. Currently, there was a fleet of 18 ships under his command. Ten from Weselton's navy, five from his own kingdom and the remaining three were a few ruffian pirates that he had paid off. It was by no means an armada but it would be enough. Arendelle was not a militaristic kingdom, choosing to rely instead on diplomacy or, in very hostile situations, their allies. But there had been no such situations for nearly a century. Hans doubted whether Arendelle even had an armed force aside from the small faction of royal guards and the even smaller division of law enforcement that patrolled Arendelle.

This time he would not fail, Arendelle would be his and so would the queen, both would do his bidding. And when Elsa legally made him king, there was no political way anyone could dispute his rise in station. Hans had entertained the thought of killing her after she made him king like he had intended on his first attempt, but giving it some more thought he realized what an asset she would be. Ever since the Frozen Summer, word had spread throughout the realm of her magic wielding abilities. Not only did the news set ablaze a wave of awe and wonder but also fear. People of course wouldn't know of her new lack of magical ability. Hans grinned. Kingdoms would kneel and bow before him with the threat of a devastating eternal winter hanging over their heads.

Hans had it all thought out. If Elsa didn't comply with any and everything he wanted… well, he had something to hang over her head too. Anna. Oh, he had seen how close the sisters were, how overprotective Elsa was of her little sister. One little threat of violence or violation and she would cave. She would do anything to prevent harm from coming to her only remaining family. And without her magic, she could do nothing but sit by and watch her world threaten to fall apart.

The beautiful sunset of the sky was tranquil and warming as Hans imagined watching this very same sunset from his new kingdom. Now he would have everything he ever wanted. He could finally show his father what a man he had become, what he had achieved without needing the help of anyone. He would make his beloved mother proud. His melancholy thoughts were interrupted by the hushed thudding of heeled boots marching along the wooden planks.

"Your Highness, your ship is ready to set course for Arendelle. The voyage is roughly three days, sir. So the captain suggests you make yourself comfortable." A soldier meekly informed him. Hans nodded and boarded the Hevner, heading straight for his personal quarters.

The ball was once again rolling in his favor.

**Please let me know about your thoughts on this chapter. Hans is launching his attack on Arendelle and Elsa and Anna had a little heart to heart. I had fun writing this chapter so I hope my writing expresses that. And also if you spot any inconsistencies or mistakes please let me know so that I can fix it.**

**Again, please review as it keeps me going.**

**Sincerely,**

**Ravner Dyr **

**I own no trademarks or copyrights mentioned in this story. I write purely for fun and receive no financial benefit from it. Frozen is the property of Disney.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Tundra**

**Chapter Three**

**By Ravner Dyr**

* * *

The night was still and calm as twinkling stars dotted the infinite sable canvas. Not a cloud was in sight during this moonless hour of darkness, making the hulking forms of the large warships practically invisible aside from the glowing lanterns at their bows. The vessels approached silently, nothing but the hushed resonance of water lapping against wood warning of their approach. The small fleet of ships entered the fjord, encroaching on Arendelle.

Hans stood on deck aboard the largest vessel, looking over the pitch black landscape that was Arendelle. He knew it was late, the little people in their homes were ignorant of what was to come, to busy sleeping in their little beds to care. He leaned most of his weight on the balustrade, engrossed in the scenery that was so close to being his. Footsteps from behind notified him that he was no longer alone in his musings.

The Duke of Weselton joined him at the handrail, his small stature only allowing him to barely measure up to Hans' shoulder. As always, he was in a fully decorated military uniform, this time it was a pleasing navy blue. The duke beside him chuckled lightly before speaking, "Are you prepared, Prince Hans? This is quite an ambitious ploy for someone as young as yourself."

"I imagine that I am well prepared duke. Prince Lars besieged Egersund and defeated their king in a single day at the age of seventeen, did he not?" Hans smirked, although inwardly he simmered at the mere thought of someone questioning his capability.

"That may be so, prince. But the timeframe of his battle and eventual conquer of Egersund were greatly exaggerated through legend over the years. Besides, the king was not a monstrosity able to wield deadly magic with a flick of his wrist."

"You're right, but the essential lesson of the tale remains the same. Anything is possible with enough willpower. What's more to the point is that the queen won't have her power for long." Hans beamed; enjoying the surprised look that crossed the elder man's wrinkled face.

"You've found a solution?"

"Indeed I have. It did not take me long; while I was recruiting forces at disgusting brothels and taverns around Fredrikstad and Harstad, I heard tales of a strange man who was rumored to live in the woodlands on the outskirts of Flekkefjord. It was said that he held great power; initially, I was repulsed by the idea of laying my trust in the hands of someone who could do such things; but I was running out of time and options. I searched for him for days. When I found him, he was not at all what I had expected. He was a wretched thing. He told me his story of betrayal and isolation and his dreams of revenge. I informed him of my plan to usurp the throne from the Queen of Arendelle. He already knew of her and he agreed to help me. He knew of an ancient magic, powerful enough to do what I wanted; render Elsa powerless and weak."

"How do you know that you can trust him? He's a magic wielder too, how do you know that after he gains her power, that he won't be satisfied with the revenge he's already unleashed?" The duke questioned, not liking it one bit that another unnatural being had to be brought into the equation.

Hans suppressed the urge to grab his cutlass and press it against the old man's neck. Perhaps he had spent too much time around those rough handed pirates at the taverns, thinking of violence like this. "Because he gave me his word," Hans saw a smug protest begin to form on the duke's lips, so he quickly added, "And he performed a 'blood blond'."

"A 'blood bond'?"

"Yes, a strange piece of magic that was. He explained that should he ever go back on his word and attack me, all of his magic would leave him. He slashed his hand, I did the same, we joined hands and he said that it was complete."

The Duke of Weselton looked unconvinced and disgusted that the prince would comply with magic so easily and was about to say so when the captain of the Hevner greeted them.

"Your Highness, My Grace, we draw near. The Mjolnir has already anchored and the men await your command."

"Excellent. Signal all the other ships to extinguish their lanterns; we shall arrive under the cover of darkness. Tell the Mjolnir to continue waiting until we are ashore as well."

"Prince Hans, where would you like us to dock?" The captain asked.

"Perhaps by the far end of the marketplace, behind the stone houses; it will be less likely that we'll be seen there. I shall be in my quarters, preparing myself."

Hans turned and left, as did the captain. The Duke of Weselton stayed, however. This plan must succeed; he had more than just ships and men on the line in this deal. For Weselton to remain as wealthy as it was, it needed Arendelle's resources. This ploy would not fail no matter what. The old duke turned away from the picturesque view of Arendelle and retreated to his own personal quarters.

Minutes later, the Hevner was preparing to moor at Arendelle's large sea port in utter silence. Luckily, there seemed to be no guards at this midnight hour. Two other vessels were anchoring further along the wharf. Everything was coming along nicely. The men who had been on board the Mjolnir stood guard along the pier, watching for any witnesses.

Hans stood against the stone wall of the quay, waiting for more men to join him. Now there were a total of eight ships moored in Arendelle's port. The rest of the fleet waited out on the fjord's waters, should any of Arendelle's ships try and make a run for it.

All of the men had gathered around Hans - excluding the duke who opted to stay on board - waiting to hear the prince's plan of assault. "There is a servant's entrance at the west wing of the castle, if we enter this way, we will evade most of the guards. I want you to split into two groups; one will accompany me and find the queen and the second will try to locate the princess. Once you've done that task, we will close the main gates and convene in the throne room. Be as silent as possible and slay anyone who gets in the way, do not let anyone raise the alarm. Understood?" Hans looked into the eyes of each man assembled around him, all nodded in affirmation.

The troop of men made their way stealthily across the paved stone bridge that allowed entrance into Arendelle's castle. Luck seemed to be on their side tonight, or Arendelle was a very slack country, as no guards manned the posts outside the gate. This was far too easy, Hans thought. The large crowd of intruders had now breached the large central courtyard. The auburn haired prince cast a glimpse over to the two fountains at the north of the square, remembering the last time he had been here; the fountain on the left had been frozen solid into a menacing monument of sharpened ice.

Prince Hans halted, as did his cohort behind him. There, at the western entrance, stood two guards, although both seemed to be nearly asleep. He silently motioned for two men to approach them. And he watched as a pair of soldiers from Weselton crept behind the young guards; one, armed with a short thrusting dagger, slammed the short blade upward at a 45 degree angle into the base of the guard's skull. The guard struggled only slightly, not making a sound before he collapsed onto the ground. The second soldier chose a much cleaner option; he instead simply twisted his enemy's neck to the side. His kill was much louder, the guard gurgled and the cracking of his neck seemed to echo for a while in the empty courtyard.

The multitude of men continued to the servant's entrance, luckily encountering no more guards. They filed into the door, filling the darkened corridor with their bodies. This corridor was clearly for the use of the servants only. It was relatively plain and had no art or other decorative fixtures on the walls. Hans could barely contain his excitement, he was so close.

He turned to face the men gathered at his back. "You know the plan. Find the princess and convene in the throne room." The group divided in to two with one division heading the other way, while Hans and his men continued down the opposite corridor.

* * *

**Earlier that day**

It was an early morning in Arendelle, far too early for life to truly begin down in the village square. The sun was barely up and most of the street lanterns were still lit. The only citizens that seemed to be awake were the bakers, baking fresh bread, fishermen, readying their small boats hoping to catch a good haul for the day, and there were a few delivery boys also, preparing to run various errands all over the kingdom.

At the castle, the servants were rising to begin their daily chores and duties. Down at the stables, Kristoff stood conversing with Sven while he simultaneously packed his sled with essentials for his trip to the trolls with Anna and Olaf.

"Are you sure you're going to ask her today, Kristoff?" The burly mountain man asked himself, using a goofy voice to impersonate his reindeer.

"I think so buddy. I've been waiting for the right moment for a while now. And I know she's the one; no doubt about that! I mean I picked the perfect ring and everything but I haven't completely planned how I'm going to ask Anna yet."

"Ask me what?" Asked a voice from behind the pair, startling the both of them.

"Oh, um, I was going to ask you… whether you wanted to bring, um, chocolate or, uh, carrot cake…? Yep, that's what I was planning on asking you! Would you prefer chocolate or carrot cake?" Kristoff visibly relaxed now that he had found a suitable cover for his big mouth.

"Pssh, Kristoff, I thought you'd know me better by now. Chocolate, of course!" The young princess seemed to possess boundless energy despite the ungodly hour. She dashed over to the Official Ice Master and Deliverer and his reindeer, scratching the latter in between his antlers and producing a carrot from one of her cloak's pockets to which she offered the greedy animal. "I hope you had a good sleep Sven, because you'll be pulling us all the way to the Valley of the Living Rock, and we both know how heavy Kristoff is." The reindeer looked at Anna in a way that could only be described as a smile.

"Hey!" Kristoff interjected indignantly. "You're no light snowflake either. Speaking of snow, is Elsa coming with us?"

Anna sighed and a look of disappointment flashed in her large teal eyes. "No, I asked her again last night whether she was sure that she couldn't give up royal duties just for this trip. As you can guess, it was a no; she said, 'Anna, you know that kingdoms don't rule themselves'."

Kristoff stepped closer to the princess, gathered her in his arms and held her for a while; as if he was trying to hug the sadness out of the poor girl. "Hey, don't be upset. She can come with us next time. I doubt she'll be missing much anyway; just us relaxing and visiting my family." Kristoff hated to guiltily admit it –even to himself– but he was relieved that Elsa had chosen not to come. If she had, he most likely wouldn't have the courage to ask Anna that big important question that could change his life forever. It wasn't anything against Elsa; it was just that she made him feel slightly uncomfortable. She was not only the Queen, but also Anna's big sister.

"I guess, but I just thought that with how busy she's been recently, she might appreciate the break."

Kristoff again, as if he needed it, remembered why he loved the feisty ball of energy that was Anna so much. She was a pure ray of sunshine; ready to help, to care and be there for anyone, especially Elsa. He gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Hey, I'm sure Elsa appreciates it, probably more than you or I know. But I do know that Elsa wouldn't want you worrying so much about her that you forget to have fun too."

Anna smiled lightly and stood on her tiptoes to press a light kiss on Kristoff's slightly stubbled cheek. "I'm glad you're the voice of reason." She gently untangled herself from the mountain man's arms. "I'm just going to run inside and say a quick goodbye to Elsa." And just like that, she was gone.

Kristoff stared after her for a moment before the grunting of Sven brought him back to the present. "Boy, Sven, do I have it bad." He sighed, returning to the task of packing his sled.

* * *

Anna sprinted down the halls of the residential wing, passing many bewildered servants and maids en route to Elsa's bedroom. Upon reaching her sister's chambers, she took a moment to look at the door that had been the representation of her sister for thirteen years. She remembered times past when the simple structure caused a yearning ache to fill her heart. She shook herself from her reminiscent daze and entered without knocking. At first it had been difficult for her to accept that she no longer needed permission to enter, or fear the stinging pain of rejection when permission was denied.

She bounded in, not surprised to see her older sister already dressed and with an immaculate braid over her left shoulder, not a hair out of place. Glancing quickly around the room, she saw that – unlike her own – the space was neat, clean and uncluttered. There were no clothes littering the carpet, or an odd hairbrush or ribbon carelessly thrown over bits of furniture or even chocolate wrappers scrunched up on the dresser. It was absolutely spotless.

Elsa turned away from her window and faced the younger royal, not at all surprised that she came bursting into the room the way she did. "Good morning Anna." She greeted pleasantly, smiling softly.

"Morning, Elsa." Anna beamed, dashing over to her sister and enveloping her in a hug.

"So I'm guessing you and Kristoff are heading out now?" Elsa smiled, albeit sadly. She hated when they were separated. After all the time that they had spent apart as children, every instance of parting was a sad event.

"Yep, hopefully the journey should only be a day, and that's if Olaf doesn't stop every ten minutes because he saw a squirrel."

Elsa laughed gently, bringing her hand to her mouth in that adorably cute way that only she seemed capable of pulling off. "Well, I hope you four have a safe journey; and tell the trolls I said hello."

"Will do, Elsa! I hope you don't get driven insane by the silence of the castle caused by my absence." Anna replied in mock seriousness.

The two sisters embraced, both savoring the moment for it would be the last shared by the two for a while.

"I'll miss you." Whispered Anna, hugging Elsa even tighter.

"Me too. Now go on, before Kristoff starts to wonder what happened to you!"

Anna giggled before leaving Elsa to look after her sister with a small smile, pleased to finally have her little sister happy again.

* * *

**I'm sorry that this chapter was so late! I wanted to make it longer now that bigger events are happening and I ran into some severe writer's block along the way. Again, sorry!**

**I've decided to start a mail bag, that way I can express my gratitude for your support in person (sort of), plus I know you guys like having your reviews responded to, at least I do. (I'll only be starting from chapter 2 by the way)**

* * *

RealMe07 - Super excited about Hans and Elsa forced marriage...love those two (even if the "love" is forced and fake!). Adorable moment with our favorite sisters! :)

"**Thank you so much for reading and I'm glad that you like my story!"**

ajunebuga - like the guard tradition. Feel it will become important somehow?  
Hans makes my skin crawl.

"**Hans does have that effect on people, even though he's one of the best looking Disney princes, I think. The guard tradition may or may not be significant; right now I'm sifting through various scenarios and the guard idea is just in case my favorite doesn't fit properly."**

Guest - Gah! I'm so excited to see how this plot turns out.

**Trust me, so am I. Thank you for your encouraging review!"**

rainstripe - I love this- do please continue!

"**I'm working on it! But I will probably take a bit longer to post new chapters since I'm trying to make them more substantial with more important events going on. Thank you!"**

Guest - This story has a lot of potential! I love the interactions between the sisters. So warm and touching. I'm very curious to know how exactly Hans plans to neutralize Elsa's magic. Please continue writing!

"**Thank you, I'm glad that you like it! I haven't quite decided yet about how Hans is going to neutralize Elsa's power but the one that I'm working on now sets a much darker tone for this story."**

TomRiddleCrazy - I'm anticipating your next chapter already! I absolutely love Hans in his true character, not fluffy and redeeming as people usually make him to be. And I know a good story when I see one, and this is most definitely one. Keep up the good work!

"**Thank you! I never really did imagine Hans as redeemable or one who would learn from his mistakes, although, I do find his motives and reasoning behind wanting to usurp the throne quite interesting."**

Guest - Please update! I love it!

"**Thanks! Here is the update you asked for. Hope that this one is to your liking."**

FrozenLily2 - Hey :) I really love your FF and I would like to read more :) I also like your writing style :) I can't wait to read the next chapter :D

"**Thank you, that means a lot to me! I'm still experimenting with my writing style at the moment so it may change a little throughout the story."**

charmiaj - How you wrote Hans is so evil. I hope Elsa will be able to foresee his plans. Question, will Elsa have a love interest in this story?

"**At this point in time, there is no love interest for Elsa, but that might change later on. I was aiming for Hans to be evil and cunning, just like he was in the movie. Thank you for your review!"**

XYZ - You must keep writing! This sounds like the beginnings of an amazing story. The fan fictions that touch on the politics of ruling a kingdom are always especially appealing, as they have an added depth of ideas & tend to be more interesting than the pure romance ones.

As an aside, I think that the sequel, if Disney does one, will be all about Hans' revenge or possibly redemption. Think about it. Frozen was one of the few Disney movies that did not culminate in the death of a single villain.

"**Thank you for your encouraging words! Yes, this story does touch a little on politics, but since I don't know an awful lot about 19****th**** century politics, or even politics in general, this story will be more about adventure and not a lot of romance either since this is more focused on Elsa and Hans taking control of Arendelle. I would watch a sequel about Hans; I would watch any **_**Frozen **_**sequel actually."**

Guest - Absolutely wonderful. I really hope you're still updating, this is the best Frozen fic I've ever read.

"**Thank you, I'm glad you think so! And yes, I'm still updating, just might take a little longer is all."**

Thepenhand - I am loving your plot with Hans and I think the story is lovely, however Elsa and Anna seem a bit stiff. Try to add some of their sass and put some joy in there. ;)

**"Thank you for your constructive criticism; I took what you said on board and tried to add a little more life, although it seems most of it went to Anna. I hope that my efforts did the characters justice in this chapter."**

* * *

**Thank you for reading and I hope you would kind enough to leave a much appreciated review! I'm working on the next chapter already, so hopefully the wait won't be as long as this one.**

**Sincerely,**

**Ravner Dyr**

**I own no trademarks or copyrights mentioned in this story. I write purely for fun and receive no financial benefit from it. Frozen is the property of Disney.**


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